Bertha Benz Memorial Route

The Bertha Benz Memorial Route is a German tourist and theme route in Baden-Württemberg and member of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It opened in 2008 and follows the tracks of the world's first long distance road trip by a vehicle powered with an internal combustion engine, in 1888.

 Bertha Benz (1849–1944)

Bertha Benz's husband, Carl Benz, patented the first automobile designed to produce its own power in January 1886 (Reichspatent Nr. 37435).[1][2]

In early August 1888,[3] without her husband's knowledge, Bertha Benz, with her sons Richard (aged 14) and Eugen (aged 15), drove in Benz's newly constructed Patent Motorwagen No. 3 automobile, from Mannheim to her own birthplace, Pforzheim, becoming the first person to drive an automobile powered with an internal combustion engine over more than a very short distance.[4] The distance was about 104 km (65 mi). Distances driven before this historic trip were short, being merely trials with mechanical assistants.[5][6]

Although the ostensible purpose of the trip was to visit her mother,[7] Bertha Benz also had another motive: to show her husband – who had failed to consider marketing his invention adequately – that the automobile would become a financial success once it was shown to be useful to the general public.[8]

 The town pharmacy in Wiesloch, referred to as the "First filling station in the world", with a monument dedicated to her historic first car trip on the right

On the way, she solved numerous problems. She had to find Ligroin, a solvent available only at dispensing chemists' shops, to use as fuel.[9] Thus the still existing Stadt-Apotheke (Town Pharmacy) in Wiesloch, some kilometres south of Heidelberg, became the world's first filling station.[10] A blacksmith had to help mend a chain in Bruchsal.[11] Brake linings were replaced in Bauschlott/Neulingen north of Pforzheim.[12] And Benz had to use a long, straight hatpin to clean a fuel pipe which had become blocked, and a garter to insulate a wire.[13]

Benz and her sons left Mannheim around dawn and reached Pforzheim somewhat after dusk, notifying Karl of their successful journey by telegram.[14] They drove back to Mannheim three days later, by a different route.

Along the way, several people were frightened by the automobile and the novel trip received a great deal of publicity – as she had intended.[15] The drive was very helpful for Karl Benz, as he was able to introduce several improvements after his wife reported everything that had happened along the way – and she made important suggestions, such as the introduction of an additional gear for climbing hills.[16]

^ Original patent specification Archived February 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine ^ Mercedes Benz webpage on Carl Benz' patent ^ Winfried A. Seidel: Carl Benz. Eine badische Geschichte. Edition Diesbach, Weinheim 2005, ISBN 3-936468-29-X, p. 43 ^ Mercedes Benz webpage ^ (Karl Volk:) Carl Benz. Lebensfahrt eines Erfinders. Koehler & Amelang 1925, unchanged reprint München 2001, ISBN 3-7338-0302-7. (Onlineversion), chapter "Die ersten Fahrten: Im Fabrikhofe & Auf der Straße" ^ Winfried A. Seidel: Carl Benz. Eine badische Geschichte. Edition Diesbach, Weinheim 2005, ISBN 3-936468-29-X, p. 38: Article in the "Badische Landeszeitung", June 4, 1886, and in the "Generalanzeiger", Sept 5, 1886. ^ (Karl Volk:) Carl Benz. Lebensfahrt eines Erfinders. Koehler & Amelang 1925, unchanged reprint München 2001, ISBN 3-7338-0302-7. (Onlineversion), chapter: "Wir fahren in die Welt! Die erste Fernfahrt". ^ Mercedes Benz webpage ^ Bertha Benz Memorial Route webpage ^ The 1st Gas Station Archived July 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine ^ (Karl Volk:) Carl Benz. Lebensfahrt eines Erfinders. Koehler & Amelang 1925, unchanged reprint München 2001, ISBN 3-7338-0302-7. (Onlineversion), chapter: "Wir fahren in die Welt! Die erste Fernfahrt". ^ http://www.neulingen.de/index.cfm?fuseaction=neulingen&rubrik=historisches&id=26 Archived July 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine The leather was nailed onto the brake blocks by the shoemaker Karl Britsch in front of the guesthouse "Adler" (Eagle). ^ Prof. John H. Lienhard: The Engines of Our Ingenuity ^ (Karl Volk:) Carl Benz. Lebensfahrt eines Erfinders. Koehler & Amelang 1925, unchanged reprint München 2001, ISBN 3-7338-0302-7. (Onlineversion), chapter: "Wir fahren in die Welt! Die erste Fernfahrt". ^ Karl Volk: Carl Benz. Lebensfahrt eines Erfinders. Koehler & Amelang 1925, unveränderte Neuauflage München 2001, ISBN 3-7338-0302-7. (Onlineversion), chapter: "Der neue Wagen holt sich auf der Münchener Ausstellung 1888 die Große Goldene Medaille". ^ (Karl Volk:) Carl Benz. Lebensfahrt eines Erfinders. Koehler & Amelang 1925, unchanged reprint München 2001, ISBN 3-7338-0302-7. (Onlineversion), at the end of the chapter: "Wir fahren in die Welt! Die erste Fernfahrt".
Photographies by:
Zones
Statistics: Position
8877
Statistics: Rank
2042

Add new comment

Esta pregunta es para comprobar si usted es un visitante humano y prevenir envíos de spam automatizado.

Security
497631825Click/tap this sequence: 3544

Google street view

Where can you sleep near Bertha Benz Memorial Route ?

Booking.com
487.420 visits in total, 9.187 Points of interest, 404 Destinations, 46 visits today.